I enjoyed this book which tells the story of where banks come from. I think that the facts and details at the end might be a little too old for younger children in the given age range but they will definitely enjoy the story so could go back to it when they are slightly older. Nice illustrations and easy to follow - 3 stars

I had no idea where banking began or how, so I liked reading “Grandfather Whisker’s Table.” I especially enjoyed that it was told in a story format, making it easier to learn about and imagine.

Where do banks come from? Are they just an institution that keeps people on edge and causing financial meltdowns. No. Once upon a time (and still today) they were used to exchange currency between lands and people. They helped balance trade and acted as notaries. This story follows a little boy as he takes his first trip to the bancos. It has amazing illustrations, the story is easy to follow, and the infobits at the back are interesting.

Added Goodreads
Added Litsy

What a lovely children's book! I can't wait to share it with my grandchildren and know that they will love it too.

A teaching story masquerading as a history lecture, set around the famous dangerous-looking horse race in Siena, Italy. A kid who just bought his little brother a toy woodpecker is worried about losing it, so he leaves it with the moneylender, only to now worry about losing the receipt. I feel ya, bro.
The story is cute and sweet, but the artwork is strange, like the heads don’t fit the bodies and have to be tilted. And though this claims to be the forerunner to modern banks, does that automatically make it the first one? Pretty sure the word “moneylender” is in the bible.
There are small articles on the first banks, the city of Siena, and other stuff, along with a timeline, at the end. Some of it might even interest the kids reading it.
3.5 pushed up to 4/5

After initial difficulty viewing the file, I was able to view the words and images on the ebook. I had high expectations for this book as a non-fictional children's book about the world's first Bank. I didn't find a lesson to be learned as I had hoped and the art was not aesthetically pleasing, in my opinion. It all felt over my head, even though the book is for children. I'm sure that there is a market for it and others may appreciate the art and the message more so than I did. Nonetheless I appreciate the opportunity to review the electronic arc.

Another educational and unique offering for Young Readers--the story of the development of the banking system in Siena, Italy during the Middle Ages. Beautifully illustrated in a style reminiscent of art from this period. Charts and definitions enhance the value of this great resource for school libraries. A gorgeous book about a rarely-discussed subject that's important for children to understand. Even adults will learn a thing or two. Five stars.

This book is listed as a book for young readers, but I believe the concepts being introduced are more geared to older students. This is a story about the first "bank" in Siena. Enzo and his father are in Siena for a festival. Grandfather Whiskers sits at a table, called a banco, and gives people money in exchange for signing a paper, exchanges money, and accepts money on deposit for safe keeping. When Enzo convinces his father to buy a toy for his little brother, he takes it to Grandfather Whiskers to hold onto for him, but he loses the paper that he was given in order to claim it back. What will he do. Father explains to Enzo about the "bank" and at the back of the book there are many facts, details, terms etc. about the first banks, their development and present day banks. The story was cute and illustrations are very stylized, almost like jesters.

We're in Siena, the site of the world's oldest-surviving bank, for a brief tale of a lad witnessing the early institution at first hand. People are depositing and exchanging money, taking out loans – and the kid even lets the banker guard his new toy – all from a position behind a large table, or 'banca', hence the name 'bank'. There's a fair bit to learn here, from the text and the four pages of non-fiction background reading that comes after it, but the illustrations are quite ugly in their stylisation, and the story isn't up to much, and through having the kid being let off a lost receipt doesn't encourage actual knowledge of the modern use of banks, or responsibility.